Julie Hamp, Toyota's top communications officer, was arrested in Tokyo on drug charges.
Tokyo police arrested Toyota’s top communications executive, Julie Hamp, accusing her of violating the country’s drug laws by having oxycodone mailed to her from the United States.
Hamp, who was appointed to the post in earlier this year, was accused of receiving several dozen oxycodone pills at the Narita Airport. Oxycodone is considered a controlled substance in Japan and can only be handled by certain parties.
According to Reuters, Hamp told the police she didn’t know she was importing an illegal substance. Toyota is being publicly supportive of Hamp in a released statement.
“Toyota has been made aware of Ms. Hamp’s arrest, but has no further facts in light of the ongoing investigation by the authorities,” according to the statement. “We are confident, however, that once the investigation is complete, it will be revealed that there was no intention by Ms. Hamp to violate any law.”
(Toyota appoints Julie Hamp to handle Toyota’s global PR efforts. For more, Click Here.)
Hamp is among Toyota’s highest ranking female executives as well as part of a new wave of non-Japanese executives at the automaker.
(Click Here for details about Toyota expanding its Takata recall list by 1.37 million vehicles.)
Before joining Toyota, she was executive vice present and chief communications officer at PepsiCo. Prior to that, Hamp held a variety of communications posts at General Motors for two decades, including vice president at the end of her tenure when she was under consideration for the top communications post at the automaker.
(To see more about Japanese automakers gaining U.S. marketshare, Click Here.)
Hamp joined Toyota Motor North America, Inc. in 2012 as group vice president and chief communications officer. She was promoted to her current position as chief communications officer and a managing officer of the company in April.
This does not look good. Obviously she knows oxycodone is a regulated medication in the U.S. that requires a script. Why would she be having this med sent to her for pick-up at the airport? I’d bet that Toyota will have to do some behind the scenes negotiations to get her off without jail time. Expect her to quietly leave the company in the next few months. Even if she has a legitimate reason for the med, it must be dispensed by a pharmacy.
Every country has different regulations as to what’s considered a controlled substance. I’m sure this will be remedied in short order. It’s unfortunate that she had to be arrested to find out that she was violating Japanese law.
There appears to be more to the story as reported today, yet no logical explanation why she would mail the drugs to herself instead of carrying them on her person – if she has a legitimate script. She may very well stay in jail for quite awhile unless Toyota can buy her freedom. I suspect we’ll be learning more but even though Toyota is fully supporting her, her career with Toyota could be over before it really gets going.
Japan represents nothing but extreme abnormally. For some one as high up as Julie Hamp, she is well paid enough that she doesn’t need the drug money. Maybe she is used to her high position privilages and did not think of the Japanese bureaucrates treat all foreigners as evils, that’s how she got arrested.
I have been visiting that stupid country for the last thirty seven years. One time, while lining up to go through immigration, I asked one of the goat keeper if I was in the correct line. Without saying that he couldn’t understand what I said, he tried to arrest me. Finally we got to the Supervisor, whom,with broken English, said the GOAT keeper couldn’t understand English.
So when we say justice in Japan, I looked at it as fantasy speak.
There are so many other incidents I just cannot list them all. The next time when you go to Japan, use extreme caution. I have been all over the world, and by far Japan is THE worst country to visit. It is at least ten times worst than, eg, China. Other country will try to speak our language, Japanese wouldn’t give a damn, they consider your lack of understanding of Japanese is your misfortune, it’s our fault and it’s just TOOOO BAD !
Good luck.